Banged Up
by Chelsea Oz
Summary: A one shot about the car crash involving Carol and Mr. Duggan through Carol's POV.


I never hated grocery shopping until I became a mom. Nobody ever warns you what a nightmare it is until you have a child with a voice and a choice, crying to the top of his or her lungs when you tell them, "No". Bobby and Cindy wanted to come with me this time. I so did not want them tagging along beause there would be a thousand arguments about what cereal to buy, who likes and dislikes what, and who should get a candy bar by the time they survive going through the check-out and by survive I mean they shopped with me and I didn't have to brain them! Luckily, Marcia wanted to come along which was great considering she could play the one to play voice of reason if there was any fighting between my youngest two. Thank heavens for eldest children sometimes!

I was surprised to find out our grocery adventure wasn't that bad. Cindy and Bobby were on there best behavior for the most part and with Marcia helping, we got all we needed in twenty minutes. I think that qualifies as a record in my book! It all went so well, I told all three that they could get vanilla ice cream cups for themselves. They were the happiest kids in the check-out line you ever saw. I paid my usual ridiculous amount of money, loaded up the shopping cart with my usual ridiculous amount of grocery bags, and headed out with my three kids slurping up the now soupy ice cream.

I had a bad feeling in the pit of my belly all day today. It's been one of those days where I can't get my anxiety under control. I was hoping once my shopping was done that the feeling would go away but it hasn't. It doesn't help that I hear shouting from the back seat as soon as the hood of the trunk closes shut. My eyes roll as soon as I hear it's about the ice cream I let them have. I should have known better.

"I can't believe you did that!" Cindy yells at Bobby.

"I can't believe you think I did that!" Bobby yells back at her.

"Cindy," Marcia says, turning around. "It's not that big of a deal. That ice cream stain can easily come out in the wash."

"It doesn't matter!"

"You're right it doesn't matter, now knock it off!"

"Marcia's right," Bobby agrees.

"Well, I wouldn't have this stain if it wasn't for you!"

Then the whole arguement started all over again. I give another eye roll as I fasten my seatbelt and check my mirrors. I don't see anything so I try to block everybody out as I back up. It wasn't even ten seconds afterwards that I feel a big crash and thud. Everyone jumps and looks at me wide-eyed.

"Are you all okay?" I ask with my heart in my throat.

"I'm okay, mom," Marica says.

"So am I," Bobby says.

"So am I," Cindy says.

That was when I see a man walking up to me. He is a chunky man with a big mustache and a bald head. He doesn't look very threatening to me. I roll my window down as he approaches my side.

"Are you okay?" I ask him.

"Yes, ma'am, I am. How about you?"

"I'm fine. We're all fine."

"Oh," he says looking into my car. His face falls as soon as he sees my children but he doesn't speak to them.

"What's your name?"

"Harry Duggan," he says, reaching into his pocket and giving me what looks like a business card.

"I'm Carol Brady. Look, I don't have a card or anything but my address is in the phonebook under my name. 4222 Clinton Avenue."

"Okay, thanks."

"Thank you."

"I'll keep in touch if I have to."

That was it; he simply walked away after that. I found that odd. I gripped the steering wheel and closed my eyes until I heard him get back into his car and drive off.

"Stay here," I told the kids. "I'm going to see the damage out back."

I walk out to find a few people came to stop and stare at me. I wish they hadn't because I'd rather not be looked at like a sideshow attraction. The back is banged up pretty good and all I want to do is cry, but I won't. It could be a lot worse than this. My children could have been hurt, I could have been hurt. We're all okay and for that I'm truly grateful. I hear Cindy crying from the backseat and I gather all my strength just to go to her.

"It's okay, baby," I tell her as I pick her up out of the car and hold her close to me. "You're okay."

She wraps her legs around my waist just like she did when she was younger. Her tears begin to soak the shoulder of my shirt. I just keep rubbing her back and kissing her cheeks.

"Mommy loves you," I say to her when her crying has finally stopped.

"I love you, too," she tells me as I finally put her down and back into the car. I look at Bobby and can tell he was shaken up, too.

"Mommy loves you," I tell him and kiss him just as I had done with Cindy.

"I love you, too," he replies, trying to smile for me. He's such a good boy.

"It's okay, mom," Marcia says as I finally climb back into the driver's seat. We both kiss each other's cheeks as I start the ignition. The drive home is uneventful but my mind is buzzing about how I was going to tell Mike, Alice and the other children. My mind is also filled with crazy gratitude at the fact that my car may be banged up but it still works and me and my children are the same way.


End file.
